The present invention is generally related to telecommunications switching, and more particularly to efficient unicast, multicast, and broadcast support within telecommunications switching devices.
In a telecommunications network, end-stations may be interconnected through devices such as bridges and routers. Data units originating from an end-station are received, examined and sometimes redirected and altered by such interconnecting devices to facilitate transmission of the data unit to one or more target end-stations. Data unit traffic must be handled differently depending upon whether the traffic is unicast, multicast or broadcast traffic. Unicast traffic comprises data units that are received at a single entry port of the device and transmitted from a single exit port of the device. Multicast traffic comprises data units that are received at a single input port and transmitted from a plurality of output ports. Broadcast traffic comprises data units that are received at a single input port and transmitted through all available exit ports.
Devices that support unicast, multicast, and broadcast transmission are known. Such devices typically employ a software analysis of the header portion of the data unit. However, such devices are relatively slow and may adversely affect network performance.